BLACKBURN and Darwen residents have suffered a substantial increase in Council Tax, despite the Council making nearly £1 million in cuts to services. Why?

The service-providing committees of the council have been faced with constant inroads - by the Government into established Town Hall resources.

The Standard Spending Assessment for the last three years has fallen by £3.439 million (17.5 per cent). It has lost £1.6 million of Government revenue support - almost 10 per cent and equivalent to £44 on Band D Council Tax.

By comparison, life and responsibilities for the service committees of Westminster Council are another world. For Blackburn, the spending limit is fixed at £797.62 per resident. For Westminster, it is £1,401.11 - 76 per cent higher.

A qualification in advanced calculus is not required. Seventeen years of a Government of national interest has established a constant equation of plus financing for southern councils against an ever-declining minus allocation for northern councils.

This unfair system of allocation has no relationship at all with local authority needs.

Residents have to accept that Blackburn Council does not want to increase the tax on local people. It is hostage to decisions driven by years of government-manipulation of the country's finances.

This month, people gained a single penny reduction in income tax. Shortly before, they became aware of the increase in Council Tax following a further clawback of Town Hall finances.

It is now becoming known as "magic money" - now you see it - now you don't.

COUN MOHAMMED KHAN, (Vice-Chair, Management & Finance Committee, Blackburn Council), Edmundson Street, Blackburn.

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